All, Monterey Seabirds ended our pelagic season with an incredible tour of Monterey County yesterday. This hearty and patient bunch of birders was a great group to be with for the day. Everyone aboard was eager to run far offshore to get to a strong temperature break and it paid off. First, we had to get there. Inside the Monterey Bay, we encountered BULLER'S, PINK-FOOTED, SOOTY and BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS. One probable Short-tailed shearwater got away before a positive identification. NORTHERN FULMAR (13) and BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS were encountered farther out. We enjoyed great studies of POMARINE (7) and PARASITIC JAEGER. Conditions far from shore were calm and glassy. We enjoyed the near t-shirt weather. A Skua slam was rounded out with a LONG-TAILED JAEGER when we got into deeper water. SOUTH POLAR SKUA (7) were out in the deeper water as well. It took some patience to get to the warmer water as we hit a spell of very few birds for a while. One of two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS landed on the boat and helped us pass the time. Water temperatures quickly jumped from mid/upper 50s to mid 60s as we hit the temperature break. This is where we found the first pair of GUADALUPE MURRELETS (4 total). Two more were found well south of the first two. While tracking the second pair, a pair of SCRIPPS'S MURRELETS (2) were also found. Eight SABINE'S GULLS flew south during our time in the warm zone. Four more MURRELET SPP. got away when we got closer to shore. Icing for our cake Yes please! A single FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER gave us distant but satisfying looks with gorgeous views of the Big Sur coast as background. Also seen during the trip were several offshore COMMON LOON as well as RED-THROATED LOON. We enjoyed a stunning sunset with HUMPBACK WHALES, PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED and NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS in the foreground. BLUE SHARK (4) and Mola mola were found at various times during the epic journey. I owe a huge thanks to all of our participants this season. I also have a deep gratitude for all of our spotters this year. An extra thanks goes out to Dorian Anderson for spotting on so many of our trips and for finding most of our Tufted Puffins this season! Looking forward to next season! Photos will be posted soon to our facebook page as well as the eBird lists. Here's one: ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39979385 https://www.facebook.com/montereyseabirdtours/

Good birding to all,
Mark Kudrav Pacific Grove Monterey Seabirds